The Yorkshire Gliding Club (YGC) operate from an airfield[note 1][1] on Sutton Bank in the North York Moors National Park, England.

The airfield site is 7 miles (11 km) east of Thirsk along the A170 road and just south of the National Park visitors centre at Sutton Bank.

[2][3] The club formed in 1934 from an amalgamation of gliding concerns from the West Riding of Yorkshire and has been in existence for over 80 years and has had many famous fliers such as Nicholas Goodhart, Amy Johnson and Fred Slingsby.

[4] The club's location, on top of Roulston Scar and Sutton Bank over the White Horse of Kilburn, and the sheer drop away of the cliff, has made it a notable aircraft launching point.

The editorial of the August edition of the Sailplane and Gliding Journal stated ...it is safe to say that there is no other site in the country at present nearly as well suited to the efficient running of the Competitions [sic].

[20] The launch site at Sutton Bank was recognised nationally as the best place in the United Kingdom for high-efficiency soaring and gliding.

[23] A mechanical system was installed when the YGC bought a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost and converted the engine to work a winch to get the gliders airborne.

[26][27] The airstrip was not used for any flying purposes during the Second World War, but may have been left as a decoy airfield to attract enemy bombers (though certain groups such as English Heritage state there is no evidence of this).

As the German use of parachutists and gliders was seen to good effect when they invaded the Low Countries, Sutton Bank was perceived as a risk and so plans were made to fortify the area and cover over the White Horse to prevent identifying the location from the air.

[31] The grassed strip is also available for powered aircraft such as small propeller driven planes which tow the gliders into the air, and other types such as gyrocopters.

It is worth noting that the airspace around the airfield is designated as Class-G, which means that the principal method of preventing accidents (moreover mid-air collisions) is a "see and avoid" system.

[47][48] Also, microlights, gyrocopters and gliders have different airworthiness codes and different licensing standards for their pilots in comparison to those of heavier commercial, military and passenger carrying aircraft.